Exhibitors Herald World (Jan-Mar 1929)

February 23, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 57 MR. RAND COMPLAINS Without any explanatory introduction, for certainly none is needed, the following missive on the way things are going in the "My Favorite Players" contest, is respectfully submitted: "To the Editor: I note that the indoor sport this year is voting for 'My Favorite Players' and that MY favorite player is in third place. "Dear me, what's the matter with you boys, anyway — voting so early and often for Clara Bow. You aren't collegiate or in your teens or twenties, either, and Clara is just made for the adolescent, but for you older dogs to fall for her line shows that your wife needs to check you in the baggage room when you leave your small burg for the white-lighted city. Fd expect J. C. Jenkins to boost her, for J. C. is at the giddy, dancing grandpop stage and wants to appear young. But I didn't expect sober and staid standby, P. G. Held, to climb into the Clara Bow bandwa2on with the rah-rah boys! "Gosh, what are we coming to, anyway. I suppose O'Hara will be voting for Lya de Putti. Oh. you can't ever tell about these old fellows, but I'm going to stick to my first love, Colleen, and here's hoping she wins out by a mile."— Philip Rand. Rex theatre. Salmon. Ida. The only trouble with Brother Rand's position is that he couldn't bring his family into line, every member voting for entirely different players'. called specials or hot mama pictures ever made. People are not tired of good Westerns and never will be. Seven reels. — P. G. Vaughan, Sun theatre. Kansas City. Mo. — General patronage. ME GANGSTER: William Collier. Jr.— January 1718. Can't say much for this one. Seven reels. — F. C. Stanley. Perkins theatre. Holton, Kan. — Small town patronage. SUNRISE: Janet Gaynor— January 18-19-20. A good picture of its kind, a special, well made and well acted bat I just broke even on it. Just an off week, I think or one not just the kind for a community like this agricultural one although this is a farm life picture. Either that or they are all waiting for "Mother Machree" or are broke. This picture, I predict, will do a good business elsewhere, at least it should. I have no regrets from having run it. Ten reels. — H. B. Wilson, Palace theatre. Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. WIN THAT GIRL: January 25-26. Nobody told me it was good when they came out and I did not like it, so that's that. Six reels. — F. C. Stanley. Perkins theatre, Holton, Kan. — Small town patronage. ROMANCE OF THE UNDERWORLD: Mary Astor — 25%. Good entertainment, but not appreciated by our sturdy Saturday nightere. Would have made a better Sunday show. I still contend that Fox has good pictures and stories but their stars don't mean a thing where the quarters really count. — E. C. Arehart, Auditorium theatre. Laurel. Neb. — General patronage. GATEWAY TO THE MOON: Dolores Del RioVery pleasing. Six reels. — Giacoma Bros.. Crystal theatre. Tombstone, Ariz. — General patronage. WHY SAILORS GO WRONG: Special castPlayed this on a Friday and Saturday and I believe brought little better than average business. They all liked it. Six reels. — George H. Koch, Gem theatre, Lyndon. Kan. — General patronage. STREET ANGEL: Special cast— 50°',,. January 19. We most always play the big ones, then sit back and wipe our eyes. We broke even, for which we are duly thankful. Take away the large orchestra and all the fixings that they have in the cities, replace the city audience with country patronage and your big pictures flop. The producers do not make the big pictures for the little fellows in the woods. Nine reels. — C. B. Henry. Charkarohen Hall. Lincoln, N. H. — Small town patronage. NEWS PARADE: Special cast— January 28. This went over fine. Plenty of action. Seven reels. — F. C. Stanley. Perkins theatre, Holton, Kan. — Small town patronage. DAREDEVIL'S REWARD: Tom Mix— The usual Mix picture. The Western were killed by bum directors, who seemed never to get the spirit of the cow country on to the screen. We fully agree with Will Hays when he said, "You must make better Western silent pictures, make them epics." And Will Hays is right. Many limes we have shown Westerns which made us ashamed that such stuff could get by the censors, 6tuff that ridiculed, burlesqued or insulted the intelligence of the Western people, especially those of the wide open spaces. And next the "squawkies" must be endured, at least for awhile. Five reels. — Giacoma Bros., Crystal theatre. Tombstone, Ariz. — General patronage. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer A WOMAN OF AFFAIRS: Garbo-Gilbert— 50%. January 30-31. Pleased nearly everybody. An exceptionally well done picture, following closely Michael Arlen's "The Green Hat." Miss Garbo takes the picture and keeps it all the way. John Gilbert. Johnny Mack Brown, Doug Fairbanks, Jr., Lewis Stone, Hobart Bosworth and Dorothy Sebastian all good and have unusually good support. Ten reels. — C. Wallace Smith. Rabum theatre, Clayton, Ga.— Small town patronage. A WOMAN OF AFFAIRS: Gilbert-Garbo— 10%. February 6-7. Man, what a picture 1 Patrons commented very highly. Best picture we have shown in months. By all means raise your admission. Ten reels. — Orris F. Collins, Palace theatre. Rector, Ark. — Small town patronage. WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS: Lon Chaney— 90%. January 16. An average Chaney. — J. Hurley Drake. Colonial theatre. Farmersburg. Ind. — General patronage. WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS: Lon Chaney— Why comment on a Chaney picture. He rings the bell for the biggest mid-week biz for many weeks. — E. C. Arehart, Auditorium theatre. Laurel, Neb. — General patronage. WEST OF ZANZIBAR: Lon Chaney— January 31. This picture did all right for me. Pete Harrison is against it, and while it didn't appeal to me as the nicest kind of story, many others do not also, and Lon brings them in. No one objected to me about it at all. — H. B. Wilson. Palace theatre. Golden City, Mo. — Small town patronage. MASKS OF THE DEVIL— John Gilbert — 14%. February 3. Now what do you suppose was wrong with this? Did a third less business on this Sunday than on the preceding Saturday, whereas the opposite is almost invariably the rule with us. Had ideal weather, too. Although this picture was run in neighboring larger towns just a few days ahead of U6. do not think that hurt our business as 6uch a circumstance usually works in our favor a little. Believe the trouble was this: That the last couple of Gilbert pictures we ran were not so well received by our small towners and lots of them did not want to take a chance on him again. Neither was "Masks of the Devil" the type of picture that they go wild over here. It is a good picture for its type, and well produced, but is not a small town subject, in our opinion. Alma Rubens means nothing here, and Eva von Berne is yet too new to mean anything, if 6he ever does, which we doubt. Well, 'stoo bad. Eight reels.— O. B. Wolfe, Screenland theatre, Nevada, O. — Small town patronage. OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS: Joan Crawford— 80%. December 29. Just what is liked in our little town. Make them peppy, Joan. That's what counts. Eight reels. — M. W. Hughes. Colonial theatre, Astoria, 111. — General patronage. OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS: Joan CrawfordJanuary 18-19. No use for me to tell you that this one is okay, as you've heard it before. It's a little "hot" in some places, but everything comes out all right, and it really has a good lesson in it. Your younger patrons will especially like this one. Play it. — J. M. Reynolds, Opera House. Elwood, Neb. — General patronage. OUR DANCING DAUGHTERS: Joan Crawford— 98%. January 18-19. One of the most entertaining pictures seen here in last year. Did big business for two days. Anita Page and Dorothy Sebastian are excellent. Give us more pictures of this type and we'll all be sittin' pretty. Snappy musical score adds materially to entertainment value. Nine reels. — A. B. Kreiser, Majestic theatre, Myerstown, Pa. — General patronage. LADY OF CHANCE: Norma Shearer — January 27-28. A very nice little picture. Will please the majority. — M. W. Mattecheck. Lark theatre. McMinnville. Ore.— General patronage. THE CAMERAMAN: Buster Keaton— Our first Keaton picture and was well received. The Chinatown tong war was a lively bit of fierce comedy that was new and appreciated. — Dinsmore & Son. Majestic theatre. Weiner. Ark. — General patronage. THE CAMERAMAN: Buster Keaton— 48%. February 3. An excellent comedy that was very well A GREAT IDEA! A favorite players contest in which a vote would be allowed for one player in each of various classifications of players, such as "lover," "comedian," "heavy," etc— this is the proposal of W. F. Roth. Jr., of the Palace theatre in Gallatin. Tenn. And it sounds like a great idea. Says Brother Roth, in a letter accompanying his ballot: "Enclosed find my vote in 'My Favorite Players' contest, but personally don't think that this does justice to each actor or actress. "For instance, I would vote for my i favorite cowboy, and that would knock I me out of voting for my favorite comedian, heavy or lover. "I believe that if you could vote for each one in his own class distinction, it would be more accurate and fairer. What do you say?" We say, "Thanks for the suggestion." and shall place this idea where it tcon't be lost, for reference when the next contest is being planned. received and was liked by all who saw it. Good clean stuff. Eight reels. — Paul B. Hoffman, Legion theatre, Holyrood, Kan. — Small town patronage. THE CAMERAMAN: Buster Keaton— A swell little picture. Good for any house, general appeal. If they made them all as good we could make some money. —Thanks. M G M.— C. W. Becker, Electric theatre. Burwell, Neb. — General patronage. THE CAMERAMAN: Buster Keaton— December 21-22. I think I have played every Buster Keaton picture that he has made, and I class this one as one of the best. I consider Keaton in a class by himself and my patrons like him very much. Buster, give us some more just as good. Don't be afraid of this one — step on it. — J. M. Reynolds. Opera House, Elwood, Neb. — Genera] patronage. THE TRAIL OF '98: Special cast— February 2-3. This is one of the best pictures for a small town that I have ever played. It will stand behind anything you say about it. Ten reels. — Leslie Hables, Reel Joy theatre. King City. Cal. — Small town patronage. WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEAS: Special cast — 75%. January 14-15-16. Although this picture is made for sound, it went over well here silent. A lot of wonderful 6cenery in it, and good work by the stars. — Wendell Werner. Opera House, Tell City, Ind. — Small town patronage. FOUR WALLS: John Gilbert— Good show. Pleased all. — Paul E. Anderson, Liberty theatre, Kalispell, Mont. — General patronage. WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS: Lon Chaney— February 2. Best Chaney picture since "Tell It to the Marines." Excellent acting, plenty of action and altogether a first class picture for any exhibitor. I rate it as a 100 per cent picture. — George Lodge, Green Lantern theatre, Claymont. Del. — General patronage. EXCESS BAGGAGE: William Haines— January 15. Excellent. Haines not at his best. Josephine Dunn was fine. Picture above the average and most interesting from every angle. Good entertainment. George Lodge. Green Lantern theatre. Claymont, Del. — General patronage. BROTHERLY LOVE: Dane-Arthur — Another good one from this comedy team. A satire on the comforts of some of the modern penitentiaries, but exaggerated in 6uch a degree that even the kids recognized it was spoofing. Plenty of action and lots of Mo Losses in the Box Office icket Registers Automatic Ticket Register Corp. 723 Seventh AveNew York T.cketsj&t Every Purpose*. LOWEST Market Prices